


Keith Look Out Club

by datboii



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Friendship, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, M/M, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), allura is also part of the gang, and are a little too curious, and is the voice of reason, lance and pidge and hunk are best friends 5ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 12:23:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15267429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/datboii/pseuds/datboii
Summary: In which Lance, Pidge and Hunk banded together to solve the breathing, living mystery that is Keith Kogane.





	Keith Look Out Club

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Rumor Mill](https://archiveofourown.org/works/519459) by [ikeracity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikeracity/pseuds/ikeracity). 



> voltron s6 have made me obsessed with voltron again and have me obsessed with sheith yet again,, so what better way to channel my obsession than to write a fanfic.
> 
> this was originally going to be a lot more short because i just wanted to write some dumb sheith shenanigans but as always things just got carried away lmao. surprisingly i enjoy writing about lance, pidge, and hunk's friendship a lot! i thought id have difficulties writing them but their interactions were fun and easy to imagine, even with adding allura in to the equation.
> 
> this work was p much inspired by the xmen fanfiction 'Rumor Mill' by ikeracity! if you guys like cherik and a modern setting, i highly recommend reading it (if you havent already, if you have then read it again cause its great)

Keith Kogane was a walking enigma. A literal living, breathing, sometimes leather jacket wearing mystery.

All they knew about Keith was the guy has a temper, and like, really broody and emo and stuff.

(“Just because he wears black sometimes doesn’t mean he’s emo, Lance,” Pidge had said.)

He goes everywhere all by himself. He walks to class alone, he eats alone, he studies alone, heck between the three of them they could probably list off a bunch of stuff together and add ‘alone’ behind it and voila! Their own homemade Keith Agenda.

But hey, everyone has their gimmick, so they mostly left Keith alone to do his business. Not that they were curious or anything, psh, hell no.

.. Okay. Lance was maybe sorta really kind of dying to know what’s the deal with the guy, Hunk was mildly curious and a little concerned because maybe Keith have difficulties making friends, and Pidge had joined in because she liked cracking puzzles.

And with that, they maybe sort of made a Keith Look Out Club out of the three of them. Not in an intrusive way or anything, just that they’d follow the guy with their eyes whenever he popped up from wherever it was he disappeared to between classes. Probably smoking behind the campus with his stupid leather jacket and his stupid but really cool looking bike.

(“Lance,” Hunk had chided.

“Look at me in the eyes and tell me that wasn’t the first thing that popped in to your mind when you see him.”)

But they mostly leave him alone, because they weren’t stalkers. They were just curious, concerned fellow students. After all, it wasn’t out of the norm to wanting to get to know your peers, even fiery, broody ones.

They sometimes make up theories on where he goes or what he does when he wasn’t on campus or the dorms. Because there wasn’t a better way to procrastinate on their staggering pile of essays and homework to do.

“Maybe he’s working to pay the tuition?” Hunk suggested one night where they were all cramming in his and Lance’s dorm room. Pidge had sprawled on one of the bed because she’s evil so Lance was getting chummy with Hunk’s side while they sat on the other bed.

“Dude, the guy’s a fucking _genius._ I would know, we share a few classes,” Pidge said, catching Lance’s bouncy ball (it’s for stress okay) from where she was throwing it against the wall back and forth. “Pretty sure he’s got a scholarship already, so I doubt that.”

“For extra pocket money, maybe? Never hurts to have extra money,” Hunk said.

“Maybe he’s selling drugs, or weed. Damn, maybe I gotta hit up the guy and hook me up on some,” Lance from his place between Hunk and the headboard.

“Lance!” Hunk gasped scandalously.

Pidge squinted her eyes at him. “You don’t even do weed.”

“Guys, I’m kidding! Of course I don’t think Keith sells drugs!” Lance purposively didn’t say ‘until proven otherwise’ because Keith was pretty shady and anything was possible. “Maybe he’s like.. selling exotic animals or something.”

“That is so farfetched and you know it.”

“It’s a possibility!”

Hunk hummed in thought. “Maybe.. maybe he has a sick parent or something? So he probably spends everyday with them whenever he’s not on campus.”

Lance perked up at that. “Actually, rumour has it he’s an orphan.”

Pidge’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit, really?”

“Yeah, said he bounced around foster houses for a couple of years before settling on one.”

Hunk instantly had that look, that look where he wanted to hug someone and tell them it’s okay and hug them and feed them until they get in to a food coma. “Aw, damn. Poor guy, no wonder he’s all rough around the edges.”

Pidge nodded in agreement. “Yeah, honestly, I’d probably be grumpy too if I had to go through all that shit.”

“Still though, that still doesn’t answer the question on where he goes or what he does or who the fuck he is,” Lance grumbled, scrunching up his face in thought. “I just think he has some sorta Greaser gang. OR! Ooorr, he’s a werewolf.”

“I literally don’t see the correlation of the two,” Pidge said flatly.

“You’ve been watching waay too many Teen Wolf, man,” Hunk added.

“Oh come on guys! It’s not entirely impossible! Keith’s like the totally loner wolf who doesn’t have a pack and stuff, and maybe he’s been prowling around town to see if any other pack have tried to come in to town!”

“I’m confiscating your privilege to stream Teen Wolf on my laptop,” Hunk said with finality, because Lance’s laptop sucked and Hunk’s screen was way bigger and brighter so he can see all the werewolves in all their glory.

Hot chicks and hot guys? Sign Lance the fuck up.

They didn’t  really get anywhere with their theories, but it was still an entertaining conversation to pass the time. Honestly, with three of their heads combined, they were pretty unstoppable.

They’d get to the bottom of the mystery that is Keith Kogane.

But then fate works in many ways, because apparently they’d get a close up of Keith himself not long after.

It started off from when they were at a house party, being dumb and drunk. Well, Lance was, Hunk was their designated driver and Pidge didn’t drink much. But it was all good, life was good, everyone was having fun.

That is, of course, until someone bumped in to Lance and that someone spilled some spiked punch on his shirt.

Just his luck.

“Hey, watch it you prick!” The guy had the balls to be the one who’s angry. Hell, Lance should’ve been the one raising Hell itself because the stain were gonna be fucking impossible to wash off.

“Uh, excuse you, you’re the one who spilled punch all over me,” Lance gestured at his now red stained shirt. Fuck, this was one of his really nice shirts! “What, your nose too big so it’s blocking your eyesight? Pretty sure you can get a cheap nose job somewhere around here, or like, from craiglist.”

In hindsight, maybe Lance shouldn’t have said that to a guy who’s like a foot and a half taller and shoulders as wide as his whole arm, but he was fucking drunk and this was his really good shirt and the guy really, really needed a nose job.

Lance saw the punch coming from a mile away, but still didn’t have time to duck or dodge it. Stupid alcohol fucking up his coordination. Next thing he knew he was lying on the sticky floor with his cheek throbbing like crazy.

“Lance!” He heard Hunk’s and Pidge’s voice from the distance, feeling more than hearing them dashing towards him and circling him.

“You okay bud?” Hunk asked in concern.

“Never better,” Lance answered.

They helped him sit up, before Pidge glared daggers at nose job guy. “What’s the deal, asshole?! _You_ bumped in to _him_ first!”

“Shut it, Poindexter, or you’re fucking next!”

“Oh, real original,” Pidge mumbled, and Lance grinned because he’s pretty sure his lips was bleeding and the whole world was spinning and Pidge was really awesome.

Nose job guy was already advancing on them. Pidge and Hunk huddled around him protectively, and he really, really had awesome best friends.

But then, in a twist of the plot, a fuzzy figure stepped in front of them.

“Lay off,” the fuzzy figure said. The voice sounded suspiciously familiar.

“What, Kogane, you want in on this too?” Nose job guys said. And whaat, did he say Kogane? ‘LMAO,’ his drunk and punched out brain supplied. ‘This is wild.’

“This is wild,” Lance said to his friends, who were staring dumbly at the fuzzy figure who was apparently Keith ‘drug dealing/greaser gang/werewolf ‘ Kogane.

“I said lay off. You’re the one that bumped to him, no need to be an ass about it.”

“You looking for a fight, aren’t you, Kogane? Don’t think I haven’t heard about you, you fucking, no good, son of a—“

And that’s when all Hell broke loose.

Or to be specific, when Keith broke loose. He swiftly gave nose job guy an uppercut, cutting him off before punching him again on the nose. Not the nose job Lance thought of, but he’d take it.

Then everything turned rowdier and people were suddenly fighting and Pidge and Hunk absconded while dragging Lance between them.

A few days after the party the three of them practically scrounged the campus to try and finding Keith. They always somehow miss him.

Until one day they managed to find him in the some abandoned corner of the library.

Keith looked up from where he was scribbling on his book, raising an eyebrow.

Keith, the devil, only had some light bruises on himself compared to Lance’s split lip and purpling cheek. At least he got Allura to worry about him. Guess the rumour about him being real good at fighting was true after all.

“Can I help you guys?” Keith asked, looking at them in suspicion.

“Actually, you already did,” Hunk started, looking sheepish. “We’re really, really sorry we ditched you back there. But we panicked and Lance was starting to babble so we kind of just ollied out when shit went down.”

“I did not babble,” Lance sniffed.

Recognition filled Keith’s eyes, and his suspicion lessened, though he was still sort of tense. “Oh, it’s you guys. Yeah, er, it’s whatever, really. The guy was being a dick anyway.”

“Uh, no, it wasn’t ‘whatever’, you practically saved our lives!” Lance said excitedly, taking the seat across from Keith, who was looking a bit scandalized. “We wanted to apologize _and_ thank you properly.”

“Uh, you’re welcome..?” Keith said unsurely.

“Here!” Pidge thrust a plastic container filled with a bunch of cookies and sweets. “Hunk made these, and I’m not exaggerating when I say Hunk is the best baker in the whole entire state.”

“I second that,” Lance chirped.

“Aw you guys..” Hunk said in awe.

Keith looked like he might set the table on fire. They thought in unison that Keith might do just that if they didn’t scram.

“Right. Look, I don’t need you giving me gifts for some petty fight alright? It wasn’t a big deal, he was out after a couple of punches, so—“

“No, really, take it! I baked too much anyway!” Hunk cut him off, grabbing at Lance’s arm so he’d stand up and give the man some space. “We’re probably crowding you already, sorry to interrupt your study session! Please eat the cookies, or burn them, or throw them out, however you enjoy it. Bye!”

And with that, Hunk dragged Pidge and a protesting Lance away. And when Lance looked back, Keith just looked really, really confused.

A couple of weeks later, nothing happened. They still see Keith around, but he didn’t even acknowledge them at all. Lance though, was convinced it was fate for all three of them to be friends. Why else would Keith conveniently be at the party and save all their asses?!

Lance was in the process of convincing Hunk and Pidge that maybe Keith should be part of the Keith Look Out Club himself because that makes _perfect_ sense and no it wasn’t stupid Pidge shut up when—speak of the devil— Keith walked up to them.

He was tense as fuck, with his shoulders hunched and limbs stiff. Like some kind of weird imitation of a robot from Pidge’s many robot themed films.

They all stared, starstrucked, and Keith looked at the ground silently for a few awkward seconds.

He inhaled, and then exhaled slowly.

“The cookies.. were really good. I.. thought the fudge brownie was the best though,” Keith started hesitantly, looking like an awkward teen with his fingers fidgeting with his jacket rather than the drug dealing/greaser gang/werewolf they all (it’s honestly just Lance) thought he was. “Thank you. For the, er, cookies, and stuff.”

“We’re adopting you,” Lance said.

“What,” Keith replied.

And that was the start of a weird, yet beautiful friendship.

 

-x-

 

Keith didn’t become part of the Keith Look Out Club, per say, but at least they were sort of maybe hopefully friends.

It took a lot, and when they mean a lot, they mean a LOT of convincing from the three of them so Keith would at least eat lunch with them sometimes. Hunk mentioned how Keith reminded him of a skittish cat.

But all their blood, sweat, and tears paid off, for now they had THE Keith Kogane sitting with them at lunch. Well.. Keith didn’t always sit with them at lunch, and still goes about himself alone, but hey! Progress! They were pretty damn proud, if they might say so themselves

Keith still kept to himself, like, almost all the time, but at least whenever he joined them at lunch he’d walks to classes he shares with Pidge together with her, and let Hunk sometimes feed him. While Lance had sworn to himself that he’d be the best bro ever.  Surprisingly, Keith and Allura hit it off pretty well, even if they only talk about NASA and space and stuff because they’re really into being an astronaut or something. Lance was Not Jealous.

So they try and invite Keith to whatever stuff they were doing, especially parties, when they realized how painfully introverted he was. He usually declines their offers by saying he already has plans.

Which Lance called bullshit on. They were Keith’s only sorta friend, as far as they know.

(“You were at that party where you saved our lives!” Lance had cried out once.

“It’s not like I voluntarily want to go there,” Keith had grimaced. “And stop saying I saved your lives.”)

“I told you Lance, I already have plans tonight.”

“Keith buddy, come ooonn,” Lance whined. “It’ll be fun! There’ll be hot chicks everywhere! Or guys! Both are fine! Both are awesome!”

Oh, shit. Lance realized he might’ve sorta outted himself to Keith accidentally, but Keith took it in a stride and didn’t even fucking blink.

“Your point?”

“My point _is,_ ” Lance replied once he got a hold of himself. “I can totally be the best wingman _ever_ and hook you up with someone! God knows you really need to get laid.”

Keith’s jaw tightened, and he looked to the side for a few seconds. Lance was damn sure Keith was probably making an excuse so he can go and brood and be by himself.

“I’m already seeing someone,” he said a bit stiffly.

Lance blinked. Wow. The least the dude can do was make a better excuse.

“Sure, alright man. Me and the others are probably gonna be there the whole night, so, you know, if you want to catch up just give us a call.”

Keith nodded, looking thoughtful, before Lance left him alone.

It wasn’t until he was laying down face first on his bed while Hunk studied did he really dissect those words.

He quickly bolted from his position and lunged at Hunk, who screamed when Lance jumped on to his bed and tackled him down.

“Call Pidge! Call Allura! Heck, call everyone on this damn campus!”

“What- why? Lance, what—“

“We need an intervention! A Keithervention!”

“A what-”

“ _Now_ , Hunk!”

And that’s how Lance found himself standing in front of the bed where Pidge and Allura sat, and the other bed where Hunk sat.

“Lance, what is this?” Allura asked, eyebrows furrowed. “Is something the matter with Keith?”

“Why yes, sweetness, something _is_ the matter with Keith!” Lance replied. “I’ve come up with something new to add to our Keith Look Out Club report book!”

“Your what??” Allura asked, scandalized.

“Okay, what is it this time?” Pidge asked, perking up.

Because while Keith was sort of their friend now, the guy doesn’t tell them shit. He just sits there and listen to them talking like idiots and not talk. They tried asking him stuff, but he was always dismissive or being really vague, which didn’t help their itch on finding out about him.

“Okay, so have you ever noticed Keith hanging out with other people besides us?”

Pidge, Hunk, and Allura shared a look.

“Lance, we know firsthand how socially inept Keith is,” Pidge answered.

“I do agree that Keith isn’t the most.. sociable,” Allura said sheepishly.

“Right?! Okay and, anndd, what excuses do Keith usually say whenever we ask him out?”

“Thaat.. he already has plans?” Hunk answered hesitantly.

“Correct! Give the man a prize and a bachelor degree! Do you see where I’m going with this?!”

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “That Keith probably lied about having plans since he practically have no friends other than us?”

Lance snapped his fingers and pointed at Pidge. “Exactly, my little pigeon friend! Exactly! So, here’s where thing’s get sooorta interesting.”

Lance paused, and waited until all three other occupants of the room have leaned forward and looking expectantly at him before continuing.

“Remember the party we went to last Friday night?”

“The one where you puked at Lotor’s shoes?”

Allura gasped, laughing in disbelieve. “He did?!”

Hunk threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, yeah! You should see this too, I think I recorded it—“

Lance pointed a finger at Hunk before he can move another inch, face red. “Step away from your phone and hands where I can see ’em, heathen!”

Hunk raised his hands up, still cackling, but made no further move to get his phone.

“Anyway, it’s not important who’s shoes I puked on that night, it’s what Keith said that night that’s important!”

“Oh shit,” Pidge eyes widened comically. “Is he really a drug dealer?!”

“Drug dealer?!” Allura practically squealed.

“He’s in a greaser gang??” Hunk asked as well in disbelief. “Werewolf?!”

“He- what?” Now Allura just looked lost.

“Hold your horses, kiddies. Now then, he didn’t admit to being any of those,” yet, “but when I was offering myself to be the best wingman ever and score him some chick or dude, whichever, you know what he said?”

“What?” All three of them said in unison.

Lance cleared his throat, and proceeded to do a very bad imitation of Keith’s voice. “’ _I’m already seeing someone.’”_

All three of them blinked. Lance nodded in understanding.

“I know, shocking!”

“He’s.. what? In a relationship?” Pidge asked in a daze, like she was just told the Earth really was flat and that the moon was just some satellite the NASA put up there to be all round and pretty.

“Is that true?” Allura asked.

“What, you really believe that?? Keith ‘I’m so mysterious and broody and grumpy and I literally don’t talk to anyone else cause I either look like I want to punch someone or set something on fire’ Kogane?? THAT Keith Kogane? In a relationship?” Lance snorted. “Might as well tell me now that loofas aren’t made from sea sponges.”

“Actually.. “ Hunk started.

Lance held up his hand. “No, do not. Finish. That sentence.”

“Okay so..” Allura tilted her head in though, tapping at her chin with a perfectly manicured finger. “Keith said that he’s seeing someone, but you think that’s a lie because he doesn’t socialize with anyone other than us?”

“Precisely! Ugh, it’s like you were in my mind or something.”

Pidge pushed her glasses up her nose, making it glint. “If he _was_ pretending he has plans with someone to avoid our invitations, I would think pretending he was in a relationship the best option available, considering he almost always decline our offer.”

“Aw come on guys, maybe Keith really is seeing someone. Someone who sees him as the person he really is,” Hunk offered, defending Keith’s dignity till the end, the lovable bastard.

All three of them gave Hunk a look.

Hunk conceded under their mutual stares. “…. Oookay,  maybe not then.”

“Can’t believe he’s making excuses not to hang with us..” Lance pouted, dropping down on his desk chair. “We’re, like, the best friends he could ever have!”

“Perhaps he’s just.. not that comfortable with us just yet. Give him time, Lance.” Allura said softly with a smile, and Lance melted in to a puddle of obedience.

“Yeah.. maybe. Still! He even made a fake relationship so he can bail!”

“He does have his phone out a lot whenever he’s not studying ...” Pidge said in thought. “He’s usually typing on it.”

Lance waved it off. “Pidge, even our local lone wolf is a child of technology! He’s probably writing a blog or journal entry or something.”

Allura hummed. “Well, I don’t think it’d be too nice to call him out on whether he is lying about being in a relationship or not—“

“Which he _is,”_ Lance added.

“The only thing we can do now is just make him feel more comfortable! So maybe then he’d stop excusing himself and properly join us in our outings.”

“Good idea,” Pidge nodded in agreement. “I have to admit he has a variety of knowledge about mechanics and physics, so usually with the right subject our conversation is actually pretty fun.”

“I’m down with that,” Hunk seconded. “I’m gonna make him try my Nana’s world famous pie.”

“Excellent!” Allura clasped her hands, eyes twinkling. Then she turned those twinkling eyes at Lance. “Lance?”

“And I’m,” he had to pause and swallow, cause damn those big blue eyes does things to him. “I’m still gonna be the best bro ever. Maybe even give him some relationship advices to snatch a real catch.”

Allura nodded, satisfied. “And I’ll continue conversing with Keith as well. Maybe then we can coax him out of his shell.”

The Keithervension ended, and thus they all assumed their roles on trying to be The Best Group Of Friends Ever.

Keith though, was playing really hard to get.

Sure, he talked a tiiny bit more now, and twice, TWICE, actually caught up to them at a party on Friday night. They all shed tears of joy.

But other than that they haven’t really made any progress on bringing Keith out of his shell.

“Sooo, Keith, you got a type or what?” Lance had started, looking at Keith from the other side of the table where they were eating lunch. Hunk and Allura instantly perked up, looking at Keith. Pidge hasn’t caught up with them yet.

“I- what?”

Lance waved his hand around. “You know! A type, like, the type of person you wanna date and smooch and all that mumbo jumbo.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, face carefully blank. “No preference, I guess.”

“What? Reaally??”

He huffed. “Why the sudden interest?”

“For future references of course! I did say I’ll be your best wingman.” Lance winked.

Keith rolled his eyes. “I told you, I’m already seeing someone.”

“Really??” Allura perked up, putting her chin on her hands. “You’ve never told us you have a significant other, Keith! Mind telling us about it?”

Keith instantly looked really uncomfortable, squirming in his seat. The three of them watched him like a hawk gazing at its prey.

“I-“ Keith started, before he jumped and fished his phone out of his hoodie pocket. He looked at the screen, relief washing over his face, before standing up and saying, “I gotta take this.”

He left with the phone pressed to his ear, but Lance was on to him.

“Oh he _so_ faked that.”

“He did?”

“Uh, duh! Talk about coincidence. Just as we were asking about his ‘significant other’,” he air-quotted, “his phone _happens_ to ring at the exact moment. Yeah, I’m not buying it.”

“You have a point..” Hunk mumbled.

Allura gasped. “Hunk!”

“What? Lance made a really good point, okay?”

Just then, Pidge walked up to their table with her hands stacked with books.

“Hey guys, what’d I miss?”

“Just Keith being his shady self. Get this, he actually faked a phone call to escape us! That’s like the oldest trick in the book!” Lance huffed.

Pidge frowned, hey eyebrows furrowed. “I just passed him in the hallway, actually. He looked like he was in a pretty deep conversation.”

“WHAT?” Lance almost shouted, making the other students turn to look at him.

“Really now?” Allura asked.  “Did you happen to catch anything he said?”

Pidge shrugged. “Just caught a few words, nothing important though. Oh, I also heard him say ‘Taka’ a few times.”

“’Taka’…” Hunk hummed in thought. “That sounds like a name.”

“Sounds like a Japanese one to me, could be wrong though,” Pidge shrugged. “Could be a relative. He looked pretty serious, so maybe it’s some kind of estranged family drama kinda deal.”

“But didn’t they say he’s an orphan?” Hunk whispered, not really wanting to spread it around in case not a lot of people know.

“Well, I did say ‘estranged’, so who knows? But the phone call was very real.”

Lance slumped on his seat. “This sucks,” he said sulkily. “We’re not going anywhere with this.”

“Hang in there buddy,” Hunk patted his shoulder. “I think we’re finally seeing a bit more of Keith as time goes by.”

And not a lot of time goes by before they all saw a whole lot more of Keith than they ever imagined they’d get to witness with their own two eyes.

It was a stressful week, the professors being a dick and piling up presentations and essays a week before midterms rolled in. It was shitty, and the aftermath looked like a warzone.

Keith practically vanished those couple of weeks, which would usually concern them when they weren’t currently dying from inhaling ink fumes from handwritten essays and consuming too much caffeine. Allura was the only survivor, remaining mostly unscathed. What a woman.

Keith finally made an appearance after midterms were over and they were all trying to piece themselves together.

“Well well well, look what the cat dragged in,” Lance drawled out from his place on the sofa of the student lounge. “What brings you out here, hot stuff?”

“Stress relieve,” Keith grunted, throwing himself on the other side of the sofa with a sigh.

Lance wasted no time on trying to invite Keith to a party. For stress relieve, of course.

Lance was so prepared with the usual ‘I have plans’ schtick that when Keith said yes, it threw him off balance.

“Sure,” Keith had said.

“Yeah yeah, you already— wait, what!?”

So there they were, at another house party with a too many people crammed in but, thankfully, not too little alcohol. Whoever threw this party was pretty adamant on getting wasted before the clock even strikes midnight.

Speaking of getting wasted…

Keith threw another vanishing act to their way and disappeared once they stepped in to the household. They tried finding him, but to no avail.

Keith was forever lost.

Lance drank 2 cups of beer and 2 shots of vodka for him.

They were hanging out by the front yard, because it was getting too stuffy and sweaty inside so they just opted to sit around by the grass with beers and a plate of mini sausages Pidge managed to squirrel out of the house with.

Then they saw it.

It meaning Keith.

And by Keith they meant a totally wasted Keith who couldn’t even walk straight and kept tripping on his own bootlaces.

Lance burst out laughing, rolling on the grass while Allura played mother hen and helped Keith over.

“Oh man! Your face!” Lance laughed when Allura finally managed to bring Keith over. “Your face!”

“No, you,” Keith slurred, making perfect sense, and it was all kinds of maybe cute, but Lance was busy trying to record it while Pidge and Hunk watched in fascination.

See, Keith always looked so stiff and has a completely straight face most of the time, but this time he was all loose limbed and red faced. Like, really red. Damn, how much did he drink?

And loose limbed he was, since he suddenly clung to Allura.

“Oh,” Allura said in surprise.

“You smell nice,” Drunk Keith mumbled against her shoulder.

Oh. Jesus H Christ.

Keith was a clingy drunk.

“Ah, erm, thank you?”

“Oookay, hot stuff,” Lance yanked Keith away from Allura, who was still in kind of a shock. Keith went willingly, before slumping against Lance. Wow. What the fuck.

Maybe _he_ was the one who drank too much, and this was all some sort of weird drunk hallucination.

“Keith? Alright there buddy?” Hunk asked from the other side, face genuinely concerned.

“M’fine,” Drunk Keith mumbled. “I’m super fine, like.. like, crazy stupid fine. Heh,” he hiccupped. “You.. you remind me of brownies.”

“Um,” Hunk responded.

“Yeah, like, like super awesome brownies. They really taste good, and Taka also said it they taste good, so they’re.. they’re… really good brownies.”

“Taka??” Lance questioned.

“Oh, you meant the brownies I gave you the other day!” Hunk grinned with pride. “Thanks! I’m glad you like them.”

“I like you,” Drunk Keith said, and all of them froze. “Cause like… y-you made brownies, and stuff.”

And then he giggled.

Like, honest to God giggled.

Lance looked at his other three less drunk friends, to confirm if they really were seeing and hearing the same thing. The shocked looks on their faces said it all.

Lance looked down, where he had an armful of drunk, clingy, and now giggly Keith.

They entered The Twilight Zone. That’s the only fucking explanation for this.

Keith looked up at him, and what the fuck Keith’s eyes are like, violet or something. His eyelashes were pretty long too, and what the fuck? “Wuh- what time is it?”

“Um,” Lance said, looking at his phone on autopilot. “11:52.”

“Oh!” Keith gasped, wriggling his way out of Lance’s hold. “I gotta- I gotta go. Can’t stay till 12, or something. Like that- that princess, w-with the.. glass sandals.”

“Glass shoes,” Pidge quietly corrected from her place with the mini sausages.

“Right! Right!” Keith stumbled up to his feet, and all three of them stood up as well in reflex in case he’s going to fall over and break his nose. “This was- this w-was fun.”

“Oh no, where do you think you’re going, mister?” Lance approached him again, taking hold of his shoulders. “You came here with us, and no way in hell are we letting you go back alone!”

“Noooo,” Keith slurred, face mushed against Lance’s shoulder. “Taka- Taka’s going to pick me up. Said he’s gonna c-come by soon.”

“Taka?” Allura furrowed her eyebrows. “The one you’re on the phone a few times?”

“Yup! That Taka, you know Taka??”

Allura shook her head. “Ah, no Keith, you just say his name a lot.”

“I say his name a lot,” Keith parroted. “I like  his name. It’s a r-really nice name.”

Lance was just all kinds of confused now. “Who’s Taka again??”

“You know! Taka!” Keith answered, pulling his face up to grin at Lance. Lance thought he might go blind by how bright it was. “Taka is-is Taka!”

“What the fuck,” Lance said in shock.

Clearly he’s been too exposed to Keith being all kinds of giggly and smiley, because his brain felt like it was fried.

Keith squirmed against his arms again, and he was a bit too jaw slacked to really get a grip on him, and now Keith was stumbling along the front yard.

“Keith, wait!” Allura called out, already rushing to his side.

They were so focused on him that they didn’t realize the man walking up to them, not until Keith had face planted right on to said man’s chest.

“Keith!” Allura gasped.

Keith didn’t seem to hear, or didn’t even care, because he was making his home right in the man’s arms, who had wrapped his arms around him in reflex to steady him.

And what a _man_ it was. The dude was towering over Keith by like a foot and a half,  the arms wound around Keith was _thick_ with muscle. And those shoulders were ridiculously _wide_. If Lance wasn’t in shock right now, he would’ve tried to play his card right and switch places with Keith to get crushed by those arms.

It was dark, but the light from the streets and the house helped them see the man’s face, and he was fucking _gorgeous._ All chiseled jaw and high cheekbones, like he came out straight out of a modeling magazine. Or a Greek statue come to life, either works, really. His hair was short, black with shocking  locks of white falling over his face. There was a thin, pink scar running across his nose. At this moment Lance believed in love at first sight, and looking at Allura, who was in the closest vicinity of the man, she’s probably thinking something along the same line. Hell he wasn’t even jealous this time!

“You smell reaaally nice,” they heard Keith mumble, snapping them out of their love induced stupor. ”And so warm, so so warm.”

Lance looked over at Hunk and Pidge’s open mouthed faces, wanting to look at his best friends for the last time before he’s going to die of second hand embarrassment.

Then Keith started _pawing_ at the man’s firm looking pecs, and Lance ascended.

Or descended, since he’s probably going to Hell for this.

“Oh, I’m so, so sorry about my friend here, he’s just really drunk! Here, let me-“

Allura stopped short, and Lance knew why.

The Greek sculpted man was _smiling._

At Keith. Drunk Keith.

And not just any smile! It’s one of those soft ones where you know someone’s being dumb but you still find them attractive cause you’re in love with them kind of smile.

That… that just doesn’t add up. Lance’s brain does not compute.

“Thanks,” the man said, his voice low and smooth and made Lance all sorts of warm. 

Keith looked up from nuzzling his face in to the man’s shirt, smiling goofily. “Hi.”

“Hey,” the man answered, smile still in place.

“What the FUCK,” someone said loudly, probably Pidge. Lance’s brain couldn’t compute correctly right now. “Shiro?!”

The man— Shiro?—looked up from where he was gazing down at Keith with a soft look, as if just noticing their presence. He managed to look sheepish before his eyes widened.

“Katie?” He asked, and dear Lord his voice still sends shiver down his spine and why the fuck does he know Pidge?? “What are you doing here?”

“Me?? I should be asking that to you!” Pidge exclaimed, walking closer to where they were all standing still like a bunch of deer caught in a headlight. “What are _you_ doing here?!”

Shiro blinked. “I’m here to pick up Keith.”

“WHAT.” Lance screamed.

The man directed his intense looking eyes to Lance, and Lance’s legs felt suddenly felt like jelly. “Keith. I’m picking up Keith,” he answered slowly, looking just as confused as them.

Keith perked up again when he heard his name being called. “I’m Keith.”

The man chuckled. “Of course, sweetheart.”

“Wait, wait, WAIT,” Lance stood between all of them, eyes closed in concentration and also to try not to get distracted by the wall of muscle that was the man’s body and how the man just called Keith _sweetheart_. “So you, you know Katie- Pidge, and you know Keith as well? And you’re picking him up??”

“Taka,” Pidge whispered in awe. “Taka is you all along!”

“WHAT?” Hunk and Allura shouted in unison.

The man—Taka?? Shiro??— just looked more confused. “Well, yes I do know Katie, and I also know Keith, and as you can see, he’s really drunk now so I opted to just pick him up and—“

“But WHY are you even picking him up?!”

Taka/Shiro blinked, and damn it Lance keep it together. “Because he’s my boyfriend.”

Lance’s eyes almost popped from his socket by how wide it went, sputtering, Pidge wheezed, Hunk choked on his own spit and Allura gasped.

“You’re real,” Hunk said in awe in to the awkward silence that ensued.

Taka/Shiro looked lost, poor soul, and had to multitask keeping Keith upright and trying to follow on what the heck they mean. “I- yes? Why wouldn’t I be??”

“Takaaaa,” Keith whined, nuzzling against Taka/Shiro’s chest like a needy, oversized drunk cat.

“I think I’m gonna faint,” Lance said.

“We just- we thought Keith made up excuses to not join us by pretending he was in a relationship,” Pidge answered quietly, looking at Keith and Taka/Shiro like they just popped out wings and tails. “I didn’t think it was real and it was with you!”

“What? No, Keith wouldn’t do that,” Taka/Shiro said, looking taken aback as if Keith wasn’t the most shady person they know. “He’s very honest.”

“No offence, Mister Taka-er, Mister Shiro-“ Hunk piped in.

“Shiro is fine.”

“But your… boyfriend Keith there barely said anything about himself,  he kinda keeps everything under wraps so we kinda maybe assumed that he was just avoiding us. Again! No offence!”

Taka—Shiro sighed, looking down at Keith. “I told you you really need to try and make friends Keith, it’s not that hard. These guys seems nice.”

“Nice,” Keith parroted. “They’re really nice.”

And then he passed out.

“Oh, shoot,” Shiro quickly caught him before he can fall, swiftly scooping him up in to his arms like Keith weighed _nothing_ and Lance wanted to cry.

Shiro looked up at them, smiling sheepishly. “Looks like we’ll have to cut this conversation short guys, sorry about this. Hope Keith wasn’t too much of a trouble.”

“Not at all,” Allura finally spoke after only managing to stare all this time.

Shiro nodded. “Thanks for keeping him in check, you’re really good friends. I’ll have Keith back safely to his dorm, so don’t worry. Katie, it was nice seeing you again, tell Matt I said hi!”

And with that, he turned around and carried Keith in to the metaphorical sunset.

“What the fuck,” Lance said in to the silence. “Is that allowed? What the fuck, is this allowed??”

“Shut up Lance,” Pidge answered.

“Uh, I’ll be doing no such thing, missy! You’ve got a lot, and by a lot I mean a _lot_ of explaining to do!”

Pidge sighed, but said that she’ll explain everything in the morning once they weren’t drunk and recovered from the world shattering discovery that night.

The whole drive back was filled with silence, all of them too busy trying to process on what they just witnessed.

They didn’t succeed much.

 

-x-

 

Apparently Takashi Shirogane, goes by Shiro (or Taka by Keith) was Pidge’s older brother Matt’s best friend since college. And by best friend she meant coming over at holidays and having Thanksgiving dinners with them kind of best friend.

He was apparently some sort of prodigy as well, because he’s got a whole bunch of achievements on all sorts of things and he even worked together with Matt and Pidge’s dad on building rockets or something. Space stuff. All those good shit.

“And you didn’t tell us this, why?!” Lance asked, completely offended that Pidge didn’t introduce or at least let them know about the hunk of a man that was Shiro.

(“You’re still the only hunk for me though, Hunk, don’t worry,” he said to Hunk.

Hunk laughed. “Thanks, buddy.”)

“I didn’t tell you guys because I didn’t think it was important,” Pidge shrugged. “Kind of weird to bring up my brother’s best friend, even if he’s basically part of the family.”

“And how could you not know he was dating Keith?!”

“Uh, excuse me for not realizing that the ‘Taka’ Keith is dating is the ‘Takashi’ that comes over for the holidays now and then! There are a lot of ‘Taka’s out there!”

“Does Shiro never mention about seeing someone?” Allura asked.

“Well… Shiro only ever comes around at holidays nowadays, and that’s not even all the time since he’d been busy, so we don’t get constant updates about him. But last Christmas when my mom asked when will Shiro bring a ‘plus one’ over for dinner, he got all shy and stuff and said ‘soon’.”

“What?! And you didn’t think that would’ve clued us in on who Keith was seeing?!”

“I didn’t think it was possible, okay! What are the chances that my practically second brother is dating the grumpy loner in our campus?? I’m still not even sure this is all real!”

“So this is it,” Lance said, slumping against the side of his bed. “This is how the world ends.”

“Well I think it’s great Keith have found someone,” Allura, being a good soul, always sees the best on things. “And this means he hadn’t been lying to us to avoid us.”

“Yeah, see? I knew we should’ve gave him the benefit of the doubt!” Hunk continued.

“You guys clearly don’t understand how dire this situation is,” Lance said mopily.

Keith avoided them like the plague once they’re back at campus. Whenever they tried greeting him or talk to him, he’d flee so fast that they were convinced Keith was some kind of ninja as well.

Which wasn’t fair, because clearly they’re the one who was owed an explanation.

“We played ourselves you know,” Hunk said between sips of hot chocolate they got at a café nearby. “Keith _did_ tell us he’s seeing someone.”

“How were we suppose to believe that?!” Lance thunked his forhead against the table.

“Perhaps we also owe Keith an apology,” Allura said with a guilty expression. “We doubted him when he had been telling the truth.”

“I second that,” Pidge said with her own cup of hot chocolate raised. “I feel bad for thinking he was just being cagey. Turns out we were the fools ourselves.”

They all nodded in agreement.

Just then, a deep voice interrupted their quiet contemplation. “Hi there.”

They all jumped, and Hunk almost spilled chocolate all over himself.

“Woah, sorry, didn’t mean to scare you guys. Were we interrupting something?”

They all whipped their head to the side where Shiro himself was standing in all his glory, still looking all kinds of gorgeous in his casual outfit. Keith was standing slightly behind him, looking uncomfortable.

Speak of the devils.

“N-no man, it’s cool, no harm done!” Hunk answered. “You weren’t interrupting anything!”

Shiro smiled, teeth looking all straight and shiny. “Great, mind if we join you guys?”

They all looked at each other, before nodding their head dumbly. Shiro politely asked the table next to them if he could take two chairs, and pulled the chairs over to seat on with Keith.

Shiro looked at Keith expectantly, and Keith fidgeted before clearing his throat.

“Uh,” he started. “I might have some explaining to do.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” Lance said, which earned him an elbow to the rib from Pidge.

“ _We_ might have some explaining to do,” Shiro continued, looking back at them. “First of, let me introduce myself, my name’s Takashi Shirogane, or just Shiro, but Katie probably already filled you in on that.”

They all nodded, staring at him with rapt attention.

“And as I’ve already mentioned, I’m dating your friend Keith,” Shiro placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder, which just made Keith curl up on himself more and holy fuck was he blushing?? “And I’m very real, as you can see.”

Keith finally looked up from where he was probably staring at the coffee stain on the floor, the colour on his cheeks lessened as his expression turned slightly offended. “You guys actually thought I was pretending to date someone??”

“How can we not!” Lance answered, looking at Keith accusatorily. “You never mention _anything_ about yourself and always ditch us because you have ‘plans’ whenever we invite you out!”

Pidge, Hunk and Allura stared at Lance in shock, clearly not expecting Lance to call Keith out like that.

Keith flinched, and looked sort of guilty. Shiro squeezed his shoulder, and he sighed. “I never.. I never really mention anything about myself because I’m just.. really bad at sharing with people. I never even expected you guys to genuinely want to get to know me.”

“Of course we do, Keith, we’re your friends. Well, we want to be, at least,” Allura said, looking at Keith in concern. “Why would you think that?”

Keith shrugged, folding his arms and not really looking at them anymore. “Most people just hear rumours and believe what they want, and I’m kind of sick of them walking up to me and asking if it’s true. You guys kind of threw me a curve ball.”

Lance, Pidge and Hunk looked at each other.

“So you’re not a werewolf?” Lance blurted out.

Keith blinked. “Um, no.”

“Huh,” Lance said, and the axis of his world has once again been thrown off.

“And about the whole ditching you guys deal,” Shiro piped in, looking sheepish. “I’d have to say that’s my fault. See, we don’t get to see each other a lot on the weekdays, so we’ve decided to have time for ourselves every Friday night. I would’ve let him join you guys, of course, but Keith here,” Shiro glanced pointedly at Keith, and Keith pointedly did not look back. “Almost never mentions that he was invited out by you guys. I’ve only managed to convince him a handful of times that he didn’t need to spend every Friday night with me and that he should go out more with his own friends.”

“I want to spend time with you,” Keith said.

Shiro sighed exasperatedly, but smiled and leaned over to kiss Keith’s temple.

That wasn’t weird at all for them, nope. But it was pretty sweet.

“So the ‘Taka’ we’ve heard you talk on the phone was Shiro all along?” Pidge put her chin on her hand. “Who would’ve thought? Small world.”

“Keith only calls me Taka in private,” Shiro added good naturedly.

“Shiro!” Keith exclaimed, the tips of his ears red.

“I think we’re gonna like you just fine,” Lance said in glee, watching in fascination as Keith squirmed in his seat.

“Thanks,” Shiro grinned. “I’m surprised Keith’s friends with you, Katie. I knew you guys go to the same faculty and all, but I didn’t think he’d be in your circle of friends.” Shiro said. “He never really mentions any of his friends, now that I think about it, just some in the passing. Buut something tells me I can guess which one of you is which.”

Shiro turned to Lance, and Lance instinctively straightened on his seat. “You must be Lance. Keith did mention you’re very talkative, and sometimes funny.”

Lance jaw dropped to the floor.

Keith whipped his head to Shiro in disbelieve, jabbing Shiro’s side. “Shiro!” He hissed.

Shiro was not fazed at all. “And you must be Hunk. Your foods are to die for, honestly. I had to wrestle Keith for the last piece of brownie last time he brought back some.”

Keith groaned, dropping his head to the table and wrapping his arms around it.

This was definitely the best thing they’ll ever get to witness.

“Awwh,” Hunk held his chest, a few prickle of tears on the corner of his eyes. “You guys are too nice, really.”

“And since you guys have been calling her that, then that means Pidge must be Katie,” Shiro continued on smoothly. “Keith mentioned how smart you are in your classes, said you’d probably be the top of the class if you keep it up.”

Pidge blinked, then looked down at where Keith was trying to bury himself in to the table without success. “Wow, thanks Keith.”

Keith continued groaning like he was dying.

“And last but not least, you must be Allura,” Shiro turned to Allura, smile on his face. “Keith said you really know your stuff, that you’re probably the only person he can hold a conversation with— and that’s a really high compliment from him, trust me— and that you’d make a great asset on NASA someday.”

Allura smiled widely, looking genuinely touched. “That’s very sweet of you to say Keith, I’m sure NASA would be lucky to have you as well!”

Keith was silent. He was probably already dead by now.

They were so adopting Shiro.

“Keith obviously enjoy your company, but he’s just bad at showing it,” Shiro reached over and patted Keith’s head.

“Then where does he run off to whenever he’s not with us?” Hunk asked, genuinely curious.

“Studying,” Keith answered after a few moments from his makeshift shield made of lean arms. “Scholarships don’t keep up on their own.”

Keith finally sat up, face the shade of a burnt lobster. What a sight.

“And whenever we ask you out to dinner..?”

“I go back to my mom’s a lot,” he answered simply.

“YOUR WHAT?” All of them shouted, making Shiro, Keith, and a bunch of other people sitting around them jump.

“My- my mom’s house,” Keith said in bewilderment.

“But- but I thought you were an-“ Lance cut himself off, because clearly if the dude’s mom was still around he wasn’t an orphan.

Keith rubbed the back of his neck, looking to the side. “Well, I was an orphan for a while. Hopped around a few foster houses until my mom found me and— yeah, it’s complicated, And too long of a story, but yeah.”

“Water under the bridge,” Shiro agreed.

They all sat in silence for a while.

“So,” Lance started once again because awkward silences makes him itchy. “Does this mean no more Keith Look Out Club?”

“What.” Keith said.

And the rest, as they say, was history.

**Author's Note:**

> my knowledge of how american college life works are only from medias so idk what i was typing asdkfka plz forgive me. i stayed up way too much writing this lmao hope yall enjoyed! comments/criticism very much appreciated. english isnt my first language and this was unbetaed so do tell if ive made a mistake somewhere
> 
> you guys can also holla at me about sheith at [tumblr](http://popcornhog.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/antler_dude)! feel free cause i have no friends


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